Federal prosecutors say a former Arkansas lawmaker pleaded guilty Monday to his role in a conspiracy to embezzle $4 million from a Springfield-based health care charity.

Eddie Wayne Cooper, 51, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle in a scheme involving Springfield's Preferred Family Healthcare, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

The release says Cooper conspired with several executives of Preferred Family Healthcare to use the charity's funds for unlawful political contributions, unreported lobbying and for their own financial benefit.

The release says Cooper received $387,501 from a lobbying firm and $63,000 in kickbacks as a result of participating in the scheme. That's money he must now forfeit to the government.

Cooper was an Arkansas state representative from 2006 to 2011 and became a lobbyist in January 2011, according to the release.

Cooper also worked at Preferred Family Healthcare from 2009 to 2017, at least part of that time as regional director, according to the release.

The news release describes some of the acts committed by Cooper and his co-conspirators, like having the charity reimburse them for personal contributions to political campaigns and classifying lobbying payments as "consulting."

Cooper faces up to 5 years in federal prison.

Cooper is the second person to plead guilty in this scheme. Donald Andrew Jones, 62, of Willingboro, New Jersey, also pleaded guilty in December for his role.

The release says Jones told authorities he was paid almost $1 million by Preferred Family Healthcare for illegal lobbying.

The release says Jones paid thousands of dollars in kickbacks to some of his co-conspirators in this case.

Preferred Family Healthcare and its subsidiaries provide a variety of services, including mental and behavioral health treatment, substance abuse treatment and employment assistance.

The release says Preferred Family Healthcare received more than $300 million from the federal government from 2010 to 2016.

A spokesperson for Preferred Family Healthcare told the News-Leader in December the organization was fully cooperating with the investigation and had taken proactive action to address issues identified by the government.